Case Studies

Duncan Flood Relief Work - Case Study 3

Beneficiary: Nisha DeviBlock: RaxaulVillage: Tumariya Tola

This a tragic story of Nisha Devi a 35 year old woman who lost her husband during the floods. Nisha Devi was married to Ram Pidi and has 3 chidlren. Before the flood, her life was already miserable. Her husband was terminally ill due to brain tumour and she had to sell the land, house, sewing machine and other valuable things for his treatment and started living in a rented house. She was getting depressed as her husband’s condition was deteriorating day by day.

On 13th August 2017, Tumariya tola got flooded and Nisha Devi found herself in knee high water in a matter of minutes. She requested the help of neighbours and carried her sick husband to the terrace. There she stayed with her husband and children for 3 days. Since the house was fully flooded and all the household things were damaged, she fed them with rice flakes for 3 days which was only thing she managed to take with her. No help arrived till then.

Soon after, her husband who was already deteriorated very much passed away. She had no social support system and was left alone to care for her children without any resources. She was struggling for survival when neighbours told about her to the Chetna project staff who were visiting that area for needs assessment. Immediately the staff contacted her and seeing her pitiable plight arranged for relief materials to be given to her. Providing the family with a month’s worth of rations and provisions was a timely intervention without which Nisha Devi and her children would have suffered much.